Nights for Monday 12 February 2024

7:12 Stuff the British Stole

Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today the Empire's loot sits in museums, galleries, private collections and burial sites with polite plaques. But its history is often messier than the plaques suggest.

This is series 3 of Stuff the British Stole.

Today: it's round. It has a hole in it. It symbolises nothing and yet it is the possibility of something... meet zero.

The zero we know and love today is the foundation of our modern world. And we have India to thank for it; in particular one special Indian birch bark book the Bakhshali manuscript.

This is the story of how these fragile pages travelled to Oxford University and what their future looks like.

7:45 The Reading

Today we have a story that considers the aftermath of a terrible crime on one of the survivors. 

Here's Deana Elvins reading 'PHOEBE'S MOTHER' by Judith White. 

8:15 Pacific Waves

A daily current affairs programme that delves deeper into the major stories of the week, through a Pacific lens, and shines a light on issues affecting Pacific people wherever they are in the world. Hosted by Susana Suisuiki.

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8:30 Science in Action

Tonight from the BBC, should CERN be spending $17 billion on a new atom smasher whilst we face, climate change, the most pressing crisis of our time? 

A NASA physicist and oceanographer explains the freshly launched satellite PACE, which hopes to get a better picture of our changing oceans and use this information to tackle climate change.

And a quest NASA manages to achieve whilst also trying to answer the big questions about our universe. 

9:05 Nights Quiz

Do you know your stuff? Come on the air and be grilled by Emile Donovan as he dons his quizmaster hat.

If you get an answer right, you move on to the next question. If you get it wrong, your time in the chair is up, and the next caller will be put through. The person with the most correct answers at the end of the run goes in the draw for a weekly prize.

The quiz is themed - find out more about tonight's theme on Nights' Facebook page.

9:15 Whakataukī of the Week with Annabelle Lee-Mather

Annabelle Lee-Mather (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Māmoe) is an award-winning journalist, TV producer and podcaster. One of the brains behind hit reality show The Casketeers, she has worked in indigenous current affairs and storytelling for over 20 years.

She joins Emile Donovan to share some of the whakataukī, or traditional Māori aphorisms, close to her heart.

9:30 The science of creativity

Can we understand creativity in a more scientific way?

Juyong Park is an associate professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, South Korea, visiting New Zealand for the Capital City Complex Systems Symposium organised by Te Pūnaha Matatini,

He joins Emile Donovan from RNZ's Wellington studio.

9:50 New Zealand group offering online Irish lessons 

It's estimated that over 20% of New Zealanders have Irish ancestry.

Online Irish lessons start next week for any New Zealanders looking to learn more about the Irish language and culture.

Organiser Diarmaid Coffey, chair of the Gaelic League of Aotearoa, joins Emile Donovan to explain how to get involved.

10:17 Why we should be concerned about rodents in supermarkets

The Ministry for Primary Industries today announced it was investigating footage showing a mouse running over an uncovered salad at a Christchurch supermarket - just a week after photos of rats in a Dunedin supermarket prompted the shop to shut its doors, with 20 of the rodents found since.

Entomologist Dr Paul Craddock has worked in pest control for over 20 years and joins Emile Donovan to explain what makes mice and rats such undesirable critters.

10:30 Sports with Jamie Wall

RNZ sport reporter Jamie Wall joins Emile Donovan in-studio to talk all things sport, including that record-breaking Super Bowl.

10.45 BBC World

BBC reporter Pete Ross joins Emile Donovan to share the stories making headlines internationally, including the UK Labour Party's green policy u-turn, next week's massive elections in Indonesia, Turkish President Erdogan's visit to Egypt, and this week's Munich Security Conference.

11:07 Nashville Babylon

Every week on Nashville Babylon Mark Rogers presents the very best in country, soul and rock 'n' roll.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching this week's Nashville Babylon features some of Mark's favourite love songs from the likes of the Ramones, Leonard Cohen, Aretha Franklin and Candi Staton.